


This Lie I've Created

by Ergo_D



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, M/M, Season/Series 04
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-02-12
Updated: 2013-03-03
Packaged: 2017-11-29 01:26:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,495
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/681127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ergo_D/pseuds/Ergo_D
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>During the course of the events surrounding Dartz and his plan to summon the Leviathan, Yami Yuugi has to deal with his own demons arising from his guilt of losing Yuugi to the Orichalcos.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Reckless

The train raced along the tracks, traveling along the countryside of western America. Yami Yuugi and Anzu sat without speaking, Yami Yuugi staring out the window of the train. The luster in his eyes gone, he stared motionless at the dull scenery as it passed. Anzu's stare was on her friend, her eyebrows wrinkling together in worry.  
"Hey, you think there will be an Egyptian exhibit at the museum?" she asked, the inflection in her voice rising, hopeful.  
The former Pharoah remained silent, his blank stare never wavering from the window. Anzu reached toward his shoulder, touching it lightly.  
"Yuugi-kun..." she murmured, her eyes turning downcast. "We'll find a way to get him back. The research that Arthur said was in Florida, there will be something there."  
Yami flinched, his breath escaping in a hiss. He pulled his arm away from her and stood up on the same motion, his face shadowed by his heavily-styled bangs and down-turned face. He turned away from the window and walked into the aisle, making his way to a door at the back of the train car. Anzu's eyes followed him as he left, her gaze only leaving him as he closed the door.   
Alone, Yami's face contorted into a painful smile, his body trembling as silent sobs sought their wrath upon it. He pulled back his arm and punched the wall of the small compartment, leaving no mark. He collapsed on the floor against the wall behind himself, each sobs tearing through him like the claws of the beasts he fought on the field.  
"Aibou," he whispered, the tears blinding the eyes that now stared into the empty space above the floor. "I..."  
His thoughts traveled backwards, to a time after he was named the champion of Battle City. He walked the streets of Domino, making his way home to Sugaroku, a gleeful smile on his face. Yuugi's spirit form appeared in his mind beside him, a playful gaze upon him.  
"Other me!" he cried, the upturned note on the final syllable making his voice squeak.  
"What?" Yami laughed. "They deserved it! If I hadn't dealt with those bullies, you never would've gotten your undergarments out of that tree."  
"But do you really think that summoning the Dark World was the best way to deal with them?"  
Yami chuckled, staring up at the sky with a peaceful grin.  
"They had it coming."  
"You're so reckless," Yuugi teased, wrapping his ethereal arms around Yami's neck.  
Yami continued walking, the vision fading into white. He returned to his current thoughts, the tears stinging in his eyes. His partner's final words of the memory resonated in his mind, causing him to wince.  
"I know, Aibou," he murmured. "I know..."  
Disheartened, Yami stood and exited the room, his face dipped so far toward the floor that his gel-saturated hair succumbed to gravity. He lifted his chin just enough to see where he was walking, although the train car seemed... off. He glanced about the cabin, disoriented, as the seats and other passengers had seemingly been replaced with endless darkness.   
"Anzu?" he called, he eyes darting to and fro. His senses tuned into his Puzzle, his awareness reaching outward in order to find other beings. "Jounouchi-kun?! Honda?!"  
As he walked forward, a light shone suddenly from above, and he winced at the sudden white illumination, shielding his eyes with his arms. The rays from the light just barely touched the edge of the room, where nothing but a floor, walls, and Yami existed in this barren place.  
"How the mighty have fallen," a quaint female voice echoed from above the light.  
"What?!" Yami demanded, peering toward the light from below his forearm.  
"It's so empty here now," the voice commented, bitterness and disdain coating her words. "The loneliness is simply..."  
Yami's eyes widened, his breath catching at the pause.  
"...deafening."  
"Who's there!" Yami screamed, swinging his arm away and glaring painfully into the light. "What have you done with my friends?!"  
"Oh," she teased, her voice singing with malevolent glee. "He cares about his friends, now. Where did this surprising attitude come from?"  
"Stop this nonsense and identify yourself at once!" he demanded, strengthening his stance and intensifying his glare. "I will not hesitate to take you down!"  
"Oh, so you're going to take down something you can't see?" she mocked. "Such reckless abandon, what a surprise."  
The darkness flashed with white light, a fog spreading outward from where Yami stood. As it cleared, the place where Rebecca's RV had sat a few hours before had replaced the room, the desert wind dry against his face. Jounouchi stood before him, although he couldn't quite see his face, his expression. Yami glanced back, seeing Otogi's car parked behind him, although he didn't see anyone else, or the RV, even. He turned his gaze back to Jounouchi.  
"Are you alright, Jounouchi-kun-"  
"How could you."  
Yami's voice caught in his throat, a stinging pain tearing through his chest. He stared at Jounouchi in desperation, his eyes searching his friend's face for any inkling of an emotion, any glimpse beyond the shadows.  
"How dare you come here, expecting to be forgiven," Jounouchi growled, lifting his face a bit, his eyes stern, angry. "Seeking something you would never give anyone else."  
"Jounouchi-kun, I--"  
"Take a look at what you've done, Pharaoh!"  
The ground rumbled, followed by three pillars of weathered beige stone bursting forth from the earth behind Jounouchi. As the dust settled around his feet, Jounouchi's face twisted into a crazed stare, his eyes wide, his jaw strained, his nostrils flared. Yami's eyes widened further as the images upon the pillars became clear: Pegasus, Black Magician Girl, and--  
"Aibou!" Yami exclaimed, taking a step forward as he beheld Yuugi's image on the pillar.  
"They all depended on you, but you failed them," Jounouchi said solemly, his deathly stare never wavering. "You failed them by being reckless."  
"I--"  
"You failed all of us!" he screamed, gesturing wildly, digging his heels into the parched dirt, clenching his fists tight.  
"Jounouchi-kun, I," Yami choked, feeling the muscles in his face tighten. "I-I'm sorry!"  
"You think that will fix anything?!" Jounouchi retorted. "I can't even trust you anymore, how am I supposed to believe an apology?!"  
He leapt forward, grasping Yami's jacket midair, slamming him against the car. Yami yelped as his head bounced off the edge of the windshield, his ears ringing from the impact.  
"You let my best friend get taken by Dartz," he growled, his grip tightening on the Pharaoh's borrowed clothes. "The same guy you share a damn body with! That guy who you call your partner! He trusted you not to do something stupid, which you did anyway, and he ended up taking the fall for your dumb ass!"  
He shook Yami once, violently, slamming his head and back against Otogi's car again. He growled, waiting until Yami turned his gaze on him again.  
"It was your fault, and you should take the fall for it! Not Yuugi! Why should you be the one to stay?! What will happen next time, huh? Are you going to sacrifice me instead?! Take some goddamn responsibility!"  
In one sudden movement, he threw Yami by his coat collar to the ground to his left, glaring eyes watching him as his face met the dirt. Moving quickly, he knelt atop the Pharaoh, landing a punch against the side of his face.  
"You are undeserving of this friendship!" he screamed, striking another fist against Yami's face. "How do you expect us to trust you if Yuugi can't even trust you!?"  
"Jou--" he gasped, his words interrupted by another offending fist.  
"Shut up!" Jounouchi yelled into his face. "You're no better than those bastards in Doma! You should go ahead and join them, just like Mai!"  
He stood, then, stepping away from Yami and staring him down, as if to keep the Pharaoh flattened to the ground. His image became translucent, as did the rest of the landscape, the vision fading back into the white fog from before the dreadful sight occurred.  
"Jounouchi-kun," Yami murmured, his voice breaking on each syllable. His face stinging, he struggled to a kneel and stared forward, more tears streaming down his face. "I'm... so sorry."  
"A fire in that one, hm?" the female voice from before quipped, a laugh in her tone. "Why don't we try another?"  
The fog faded out once more, this time revealing an upscale office, the decor formal and grey. Behind a a mahogany desk stood a familiar figure, his tall form facing the floor-length windows that lined the outside walls.  
"Yuugi..."  
"Kaiba?" Yami said warily, only able to bring himself to a squat on the floor of the office.   
"So, you have gone against my orders to never show your losing face to me again," Kaiba murmured.  
He turned rapidly on his heel, his stance firm, his glare even stronger and more focused than Jounouchi's.   
"I told you I only associate with True Duelists, which you have proven yourself not to be! You are unworthy to even breathe the same air as one."  
"Kaiba!" Yami exclaimed, his legs shaking as he pulled himself slowly to his feet. "I was tricked by that Rafael! I couldn't--"  
"Silence" Kaiba ordered, taking a step toward the desk, toward Yami. "You are no longer my worthy opponent! You failed to handle the game as a True Duelist, instead using the same tricks that those dogs in Doma employ to gain an illegal advantage."  
"But I haven't changed, Kaiba!"  
"You have lost your Duelist's honor, Yuugi," Kaiba growled. "A True Duelist accepts his defeats and mistakes on himself, not on others!"  
Yami stood motionless, speechless, his chest tightening as he fought back the painful sobs that threatened to burst forth.  
"Get out of my sight," Kaiba seethed, turning to face the window once more.  
The vision faded out to white again, leaving Yami bruised, both physically and mentally.  
"Oh, my," the voice mewed. "Even your beloved rival sees through you, to see who you really are."  
Yami glanced around quickly, trying in vain to locate the woman taunting him.  
"What are you talking about?" he asked, his voice demanding an answer.  
"Maybe he does, but you apparently don't. Would you like to know?"  
The area changed without warning, reverting to a dark and ruined version of an ancient city of Egypt, only during its contemporary time. Sand blew along an endless wind, the buildings crumbling from recent damage, from catastrophic damage.  
"This is..." Yami began, although he didn't need to finish the sentence. This was, indeed, the same vision shown to him during his Battle City Finals duel with Kaiba.  
"All this destruction, what do you think caused it? What could be powerful or vengeful enough to do this? What if..."  
A statute of a former pharoah crumbled suddenly, crashing to the earth and disintegrating.  
"What if it was you? I mean, how could you know, honestly?"  
"I..." Yami stared in horror at the destruction, his body trembling. "I don't believe you!"  
"Oh, but you can't be sure, now can you? Look around you, and tell me that you know, truly, that you didn't cause this. That your hand is not to blame for this wasteland."  
Yami lowered his head, clenching his fists at his side. His breathing heavy, he let his posture slump a bit.  
"I can't say for sure."  
"Oh, but I know someone who can."  
"What?!"  
Yami's head popped up, and he staggered forward, still searching for the unseen woman. His gaze traveled back and forth, searching the white fog, even as it faded into a perfect view of the labyrinth within his own mind. He continued to search, eyes beholding the surrealist stairs for any sign of a foreign figure. In defeat, he let his gaze fall in front of himself, at the center of the large room that served as the entryway into his mind. There, however, was a small and very familiar figure. His clothes, his hair, it was all the same, and--  
"Aibou?" Yami murmured, unable to trust his own eyesight for the moment. He blinked several times, his gaze blurring, then clearing, and the figure didn't vanish or even flicker.  
"Aibou!" he exclaimed, running forward gleefully. He stopped just behind his vessel, a warm, relieved smile on his face. "I thought you'd gone, I thought I'd have to be alone..." He voice trailed away, tears of joy streaming down his face. "I thought I'd lost you completely... Aibou." He reached toward his partner, preparing to embrace him.  
"You did," Yuugi said simply. Yami's reach halted, his hand jumping from the sound of Yuugi's voice.  
"What...?" Yami said, his eyes wide with disbelief, with denial.  
"So, she was right, you really have lost yourself."  
Yuugi turned to face his other self, his gaze missing the light that normal graced his innocent face. He stared onward, ignoring the hand that hovered just inched from his nose.  
"You played the card, even though I told you to stop, that it was exactly what Rafael told you to do. You needlessly-sacrificed your beloved monsters, even the Black Magician Girl, who was trusting you to save her and her kin from Dartz. And for what?" He took a step forward, his gaze hardening. "Your pride?"  
"Aibou..."  
"Tell me something, Other Me, how were you as a king?" he demanded, pointing at him with his index finger. "Were you just?"  
"I don't--"  
"Or did you treat everyone just as you treated your monsters, like means to an end? Like throwing away pawns? How many did you let die just to save your pride, just to secure your status as ruler?" He grinned devilishly, lowering his hand. "It's not like anyone could stop you, just like I couldn't stop you when you let me get taken. What happened when I wasn't there to hold your reins?"  
"I..." Yami sighed, turning his gaze away from Yuugi's. His eyes narrowed. "I don't know, Aibou. I don't remember anything about how I was before I met you, I don't remember being a king..." More tears invaded his eyes, streaming down his cheeks. His face strained and his jaw clenched. "How do I tell you what I can't know?!"  
"I do know," Yuugi stated, his voice even, his face stern.  
Yami's eyes widened, his mouth gaping. He reached toward Yuugi again, but failed to touch him. His mouth formed the word "what," but didn't utter even a breathy attempt at speech.  
"You really do have a memory problem. Remember after I solved the Puzzle, and you would take over my body to teach bullies a lesson? Or how about when you destroyed the minds of several people on Pegasus's island, and could have killed Kaiba not once, but twice? What if I hadn't been able to gain control the second time? Would you have let him die?"  
Yami remained silent, his gaze averted.  
"I think, no, I know you would have. People have died by your hand in the short time I've known you, and without me, that toll would have been much higher."  
"I only did those things to protect you!" Yami retorted through a choking sob.  
"No you didn't!" Yuugi spat, leaning up close to Yami's face. "You did it to protect your pride, to assert your place as the alpha in a world of lesser beings! Without me around, you never would have shown any restraint. Your actions against Rafael proved that, Pharaoh, and you had nothing major to lose by losing to him before you played that damn card!"  
He leaned forward more, close enough to threaten a kiss, but the tension between them indicated that any action involving their faces would be a violent and non-sexual bite.  
"You lost your monsters, you lost your honor, and you lost me. If you hadn't let your pride rule your actions, you would still have all that, and would have only lost a game."  
"Aibou, I..." Yami stammered. "I... I just wanted... I mean, I just--"  
"Don't try to make excuses," Yuugi ordered. "You were afraid you would lose, so instead of accepting an honorable defeat, you made the reckless decision to gamble your life, as well as the entire world on a risk less game. And in doing so, you played right into your opponent's hand. Your recklessness made you stupid, and you've disappointed me, since now I know who you really were as a king, how you are as my partner, as you would be as a 'savior.'"  
"I..."  
Yami collapsed to his knees, the tears streaming down his face without ceasing. The sobs wracked his body, slicing through him, causing him to cry out in pain with each.  
"I can't know for certain the events that preceded my death, but I..."  
He clenched his fists tight, watching through blurred vision as the tears fell onto his hands.  
"I can't change what has been done, what could have been done, but I can change what will be done." His voice was strained, raw from the stress of crying openly. "But please believe me, Aibou, when I say that I regret everything, all the people I've hurt, and I regret most of all letting Dartz take you from me. I only ask for your forgiveness..." He squeezed his eyes shut, but he couldn't stop the tears. "Please, Aibou."  
"I can't do that," Yuugi replied plainly, a green haze illuminating the room. "You can't change anything. This is the true you, and it's time you accepted yourself for that: the egomaniac, the murderer, the tyrant." His eyes narrowed and he sneered. "And you will have to face that, alone."  
"Please, Aibou, I..."  
"For too long, I had to deal with the consequences of your actions while you retreated to lay dormant in the Puzzle. This time, you have to deal with them yourself." He let out a sigh. "Goodbye, Nameless Pharaoh."  
"What-"  
The green light consumed Yuugi, and he began to fade into it. He closed his eyes, accepting, peaceful.  
"No!" Yami screamed, leaping toward Yuugi's disappearing form. "Aibou!"  
He dove, reaching for Yuugi, but grasped air, and tumbled into a clumsy roll onto the sandstone floor. Too late.  
He lay there, body bruised, heart aching, violent sobs ripping through his chest, threatening to impede his breathing.   
"Aibou," he sobbed, grasping at the floor and grabbing nothing. "Aibou!"  
His thoughts flashed several scenes across his mind's eye, memories from somewhat happier, yet more violent, times. The man he burned alive with vodka and a lighter. The woman's whose face he turned into a jigsaw puzzle. Kaiba, when he defeated him with Exodia and broke his heart apart. The Player Killer whose mind he destroyed. Kaiba, once more, when Yuugi stopped him from letting him jump from the roof. And Yuugi, when he disappeared into the Orichalcos.  
"I really am this..." Yami cried, lifting his hand to gaze at it, shaking. "I could have spared all those lives, no one had to..."  
He clenched his fist and slammed it into the floor, screaming with sobs. He couldn't see through the tears anymore.  
"My anger... I can't control it. How do I know what's just and what's not? I don't have what Yuugi has... I can't..."  
The white fog disappeared completely, leaving him in the small compartment where he had been before the vision. He curled up against the wall, unseeing to the world, the sobs shaking his body.  
In the distance, Jounouchi exclaimed that no one was on the train.


	2. Angry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yami Yuugi faces Haga in a duel, whom tries his hardest to remind Yami of his personal crimes at each opportunity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter follows the duel as close as possible, but the game sequence itself has been summarized and a lot of the technical dialogue omitted because it became redundant.

On the train's upper level, Jounouchi surveyed the compartment, his eyebrows raised in worry.  
"Damn," he growled, turning back to Honda, who had followed him. "There's no one here, either."  
"How can we be the only ones here?" Honda asked, searching under the chairs in vain. "Unless Americans just don't use trains."  
"Hilarious," Jounouchi said dryly, scratching his head.  
Footsteps traveled up the stairs to where the two friends stood, and Yami appeared from the stairwell. His face was clear, though his eyes still betrayed the red haze of grief.  
"What's going on?" he asked, glancing around at the empty train car as Jounouchi did before.  
"Something weird is going on," Jounouchi replied, motioning to the empty car. "The entire place is deserted."  
Yami hissed through his teeth, running off toward the front of the train. If anyone would know where the passengers are, it would be the conductor, right? He ran across the small bridge connecting the subsequent car with the one he just left, pausing to fiddle with the door.  
He heard a click, and thought nothing of it at first. He almost opened the door when a familiar voice jarred him out of his concentration.  
"Yuugi!"  
Turning, he saw Anzu standing in the door of the other car, which seemed to be getting farther away the longer he stared at it. He glanced down briefly, seeing that the cars had separated.  
No, he thought, his eyes widening slightly, his heart bursting from his chest. I am not losing her, too.  
"Anzu!" he yelled, holding his hand out to her. He strained against the wind, the threat against falling from the car. His hand gripped the metal support on the ladder as he reached for her, hoping and praying to whatever gods his people worshiped that he wouldn't die a second death, and that Anzu wouldn't die her first.  
She leaped across, landing unsteadily on his car. He caught her carefully, just to be sure she had her footing, pulling her close to his chest. Turning his head toward the other car, his face fell as he saw Jounouchi and Honda staring at him from the doorway, forlorn as they moved farther and farther away from the Pharoah's car.  
"Jounouchi-kun!"  
Say something, he thought angrily to himself, gritting his teeth.  
"Find help!" he called back, his face contorting on the word 'help.' "We'll be alright, just keep yourselves safe!"  
He led Anzu into the car, and they both scoured the rest of the train for any passengers. Met with the same situation as the cars before, they headed for the engine. Yami tried the door, but it was locked. He began searching for another way in as Anzu slammed her fist against the metal door, yelling at the conductor to stop.  
"I don't think there's anyone there, either," Yami muttered, spying a similar ladder to the other car, leading up to the roof.  
"Maybe there's--" he began, not finishing his sentence.  
He jumped up onto the ladder, climbing up to the roof of the car. He heard a cry from Anzu below him, but he couldn't quite make out what she said. 'Be careful'? 'Pick a shovel'? 'That's a mouthful'? Who knows.  
Fighting through the wind flowing over the back of the car and into his face, he pulled himself to the engine's roof. As his eyes adjusted to the dry desert air battering against them, he noticed a figure standing atop the car. A vaguely-familiar, teal-haired figure--  
"Haga?!" he exclaimed as he gained his balance on the speeding train, glaring dangerously at the boy. "Is this your doing?"  
Haga simply laughed, a dark air emitting from his form. He reached into his pocket, grinning.  
"Hey, Yuugi," he smiled. "I need to tell you something. I'm not the same as before."  
He pulled out a glowing green stone, the same as the other members of Doma carried. Yami's eyes widened, and he gritted his teeth. So, it was going to be another Orichalcos duel. His confidence wavered, however, as a sharp pain assaulted his chest. The feeling was unusual, and he clenched his fists. The flashbacks returned, and he once again witnessed Yuugi disappearing into the green light of the Orichalcos, by his own hand.  
"Why are you working for Doma?"  
Yami felt his heart jump. Surprised, he whipped his head to his left, seeing that Anzu had followed him to the roof of the train. Her eyes were focused on Haga, reflecting the rage that only her fiery heart could harbor.  
"It's to beat Yuugi, of course," Haga laughed in reply, smiling devilishly at Anzu.  
Yami flinched, though his gaze returned to Haga, still stern. He couldn't waver, no, he had to keep going. He had to get Yuugi back. But he couldn't approach a duel, not now, not against Haga, not when their souls were on the line again.  
"I won't let you two duel like this!" Anzu exclaimed over the wind noise, her confidence glowing. Yami was suddenly reminded why he valued her as a friend, and he allowed a slight smirk to hit his lips for a moment.  
"Ha!" Haga replied, wagging his finger. "You look like shit, Anzu-chan. Didn't you know that tender girls are so much cuter?"  
Yami's glare returned, fiercer, and he felt his jaw clench in response. He took a step forward on the train, a bit unsteadily, as Anzu continued her banter with the bug boy.  
"What are you talking about?" she asked, though her words were lost, as Haga waved them away.  
"I don't want to talk to you, anyway, but the Nameless Pharaoh."  
Yami gasped, but it sounded more like a hiss, and visibly winced.  
"What?"  
How could Haga--there's no way Haga knew. He was outside his friend stronghold, and only his strongest enemies knew the truth about him. In fact, he himself didn't even know about his origins until Marik and his family invaded Kaiba's tournament not so long ago.  
"I've heard you have two characters," Haga continued, mocking the Pharaoh with his tone. "You want to know where the other one is?"  
"Other what?" Yami asked cautiously, feeling his voice catch in his throat. Oh, he already knew what was coming, he just wanting to be sure of Haga's meaning.  
"The other Yuugi," Haga sneered, his grin widening with his madness. "Wouldn't you like to know where the other Yuugi is?"  
"Where is he?" Yami screamed with authority, his posture rigid now, possible word of where his partner had gone strengthening his confidence. Fight or flight, he would get Yuugi back, his quickening pulse enough proof of that.  
"Defeat me, and I might tell you," Haga teased.  
"You will tell me!" Yami yelled back, activating his duel disk. Whatever was holding him back before was gone, and he felt free. Truly free to steamroll over this insect and find his lost partner. Nothing would stand in his way, especially not Insector Haga, who was laughing hysterically.  
"You can't do this," Anzu pleaded with Yami, touching her hand to his shoulder.  
"Stay out of it, Anzu," Yami growled in reply, rolling his shoulder roughly to knock her hand away. He kept his gaze away from her, only seeing Haga, his enemy.  
The first turn began, and Haga giggled.  
"Hey, Yuugi," he smiled, flipping a card in his hand to show the Pharoah.  
Yami flinched again, that pain in his chest returning. Heat boiled in his veins, and his brain calculated all the most gruesome deaths that could 'accidentally' befall Haga in this moment. A fall, death-by-train, a mind crush-- it didn't matter.  
"How does it feel to have that darkness in your mind?" Haga mocked, laughing maniacally as Yami's horrified face betrayed him. No, Haga, don't play it. Please, for the love of all that should be, don't play that card.  
"I'm just joking," Haga teased with a shrug.  
Yami's shoulders relaxed slightly, letting out a relieved breath. Good, he wouldn't play it. No one had to be taken today. It would be a clean duel, and he would find out where Yuugi is so he can set things right. An honorable game.  
"I'll know exactly how it feels," Haga continued, his grin unnaturally-wide now. "Since I'm going to play it, right this moment."  
Yami's eyes widened to their apex, his face contorting into a primal threat as Haga slid the card into the Field Magic slot on his Doma-issued Duel Disk. The Orichalcos seal blossomed from the middle of the dueling field, spinning outward. It spun with such force that Anzu was knocked from the train. Yami whipped around, his eyes filled with horror, his mouth gaping as he watched his friend fly away toward her death.  
"Anzu!" he exclaimed, instinctively running toward the edge of the seal, but he lost his balance dangerously from the speeding train. His heart sank further, though the fire burning through his core gained strength.  
"I'm alright," Anzu called from the car behind the duel, gripping a seam in the roof precariously.  
Yami nodded, turning back toward Haga. His breathing had quickened, though it was even, and dangerously so. Haga would pay, and dearly so, and his focus on such a task was so sharp that he barely noticed the cards that his opponent played, only that the monster had 1300 attack points.  
Upon drawing, he summoned Celtic Swordsman and, with its 1400 attack, knew this would be more than enough to beat the defending monster. Obviously. Haga was still just as weak as at Duelist Kingdom, so this wouldn't take long. He would have his answer of Yuugi's whereabouts, and swiftly so.  
"Yuugi!" Anzu called, her voice muffled against the wind. "Don't do it!"  
"Celtic Swordsman!" Yami exclaimed, seeming to not hear Anzu's cry. "Attack, Pheromone Wasp!"  
Oh, he heard Anzu, alright. He just chose to ignore such a cautious notion. Why play it safe when it was a sure shot? It's not like Haga had any dirty tricks up his sleeve, or in his trap zone. He had this won as soon as he accepted the challenge. Nothing could possibly--  
"Trap card activate!" Haga laughed, one of the two face-down card holograms lifting upward to reveal itself. "Mimic!"  
Yami gasped, the realization shivering down his spine of his oversight. His thoughts swirled, wondering why the hell he didn't see one facedown card, let alone two. Did he subconsciously think Haga was bluffing, or did he really not see those cards?  
No matter, one setback wouldn't ruin this entire game. Mimic is just a card that swaps out one monster for another, and losing Celtic Swordsman would only be a minor loss next to his inevitable victory. He still had Timeous, after all.  
To his surprise, Haga switched Pheromone Wasp with Parasite Caterpillar, a monster with the exact same attack as the wasp monster.  
"...what?" Yami breathed, momentarily confused. "That is--"  
"Yes, this lovely little beauty can infect your monster, leaving you defenseless!" Haga chuckled, for roughly the fiftieth time in the last five minutes. "I'm going to make you suffer, little by little."  
Yami averted his eyes, staring at his cards. He saw nothing, his troubled gaze not focusing on the cards, but his ears heard nothing but Haga's taunts.  
"Prepare yourself, because I plan to draw this out as long as possible."  
Haga drew, cackling, and summoned the wasp again. He took advantage of Yami's frozen state and attacked. It took the Pharaoh off-guard, the force of the attack almost knocking him off his feet. He huffed and braced himself with one hand pressed against the train car. Anzu's voice cried out behind him, or at least he thought it did, since it was hard to hear anything that came from outside that green monstrosity of broken friendships. He looked up just in time to see Haga summon another monster, most likely from that wasp's effect, and see the other card activated.  
Insect Barrier, but that won't do--  
"No," he hissed, straightening himself up.  
He couldn't attack, not with his swordsman infected. And if the parasite infected the rest of his cards, there would be no chance for him to strike damage, not until that card was destroyed. He closed his eyes, and he saw Yuugi, smiling, waving at him. Yami reached for him, but his partner began to float away from him, green light surrounding him. Yami tried to call out to him, but his voice escaped him, leaving a blank void where sound should be. He watched helplessly as his partner disappeared, just as before, only slower, and he could see the life leaving Yuugi's eyes as he faded away.  
"No," he said, stronger, defiant, opening his eyes to glare at Haga.  
Haga called for him to draw, and he growled, muttered that of course it's his turn. His confidence returned, and he drew a card. Perfect. He briefly looks to his Celtic Swordsman, puzzled as it turns into a grotesque cocoon. Poisonous Butterfly, and he'll lose 500 points from his life at the beginning of each turn. He glances at his cards, then looks stern, activating his Polymerization to summon Dragon Knight Gaia. Stern and confident, he smiled devilishly and prepared to attack. Even if this wouldn't immediately defeat Haga, his onslaught would at least make a sizable dent.  
"Dragon Knight Gaia, attack!"  
His monster obliged, and swooped into battle to attack the Legul. It swung its lance, and Yami's confident smile grew with the anticipation. He prepared his next movements in his head, playing a game of chess with his cards, crafting the entire duel around his current hand. That's how quickly this would be over, anyway.  
The sound of a trap card activated, along with Haga's announcement of it, and the card revealed itself to be the continuous trap DNA Remodeling Surgery, meaning Dragon Knight became an insect as well, and so will every other monster he would summon. Yami cannot attack.  
Yami tensed, shaking, gritting his teeth together, his shoulders shifting with the stress, his grip on his cards becoming hazardous. His mind searched furiously for a way out, any way out, his current hand useless. His mind went to his deck, so cloudy with hatred for Haga that he couldn't remember half of his cards. He let out a hiss between his teeth again, Yuugi's face as he was taken flashing before his mind's eye once more.  
"Yuugi, you need to calm down!" Anzu called through the wind, still holding tight to the train.  
"I know," he snapped, still visibly tense  
"Yuugi," she murmured, her voice lost on the wind.  
Yami moved to draw, but notices an overpass ahead, crouching down to the roof to avoid it. He watched expectantly, knowing full-well that he wouldn't feel the least bit of guilt about letting Haga get struck by the over-hanging rock. He smirked a little, the satisfaction of his fantasy filling his heart briefly with glee. They rocketed toward the obstacle quickly, anticipation causing Yami's heartbeat to increase with excitement.  
Come on, he thought. Don't notice it. Don't even sense it. Let it strike you down.  
Haga smiled, then ducked just as the overpass threatened to hit him, cackling as he did so. Yami's brief bout of happiness at his enemy's imminent demise faded, replaced by fury that was even more pronounced than before.  
"That was close, wasn't it?" Haga said, smirking.  
He drew a card and cackled, placing it on the field. Cell Division, and he used it to duplicate his Legul. Yami laughed in response, a confident smirk on his lips.  
"Two monsters with only 800 points? That's nothing, Haga."  
"Are those really the words of the original King of Duelists?" Haga taunted, giggling. "Do you really think I would use Cell Division without a plan?"  
He pressed his glasses up his face and smirked, staring at Yami Yuugi with a knowing look in his droopy eyes. Yami returned his gaze with a glare, unblinking.  
"Your duel with Rafael must have really affected you, right?" Haga continued, his smile widening. "It's no wonder, then." He shrugged, crossing his arms, grinning evilly.  
"You lost your partner due to your own stupidity."  
Yami's guts twisted in agony, his body tensing even more. His hatred for this boy bubbled forth, his muscles tightening with the increasing rage. He hissed through his teeth, inches from primal instincts to drop the civilized game of Duel Monsters and finish this in violence. His jaw ached as his teeth clenched tighter and tighter, sending that stress to his temples, where a headache brewed.  
"Behave yourself!" Anzu commanded from behind Yami, speaking to Haga.  
"Oh, I'm so sorry," Haga said mockingly. "I was just talking to myself just now. Nothing to worry yourself over." He laughed.  
"Haga, you bastard!" Yami retorted, the stress of his anger straining his voice, betraying a growl.  
"How can someone like you be national champion?" Anzu asked, also quite angry. "Don't you have any self-esteem? Any pride?"  
Haga laughed, leaning forward to glare at Anzu.  
"Don't be so proud just because you're 'cute,'" he replied, putting a mocking emphasis on "cute." "People will hate you if you keep saying things like that."  
Haga continued his turn, sacrificing the token summoned by Cell Division as well as  
Pheremone Wasp to summon Insect Queen. His new card got the boost from both the Orichalcos as well as her own effect, and Yami let out a gasp in response.  
"3500 attack power?" he said breathlessly, his words almost lost on the wind of the train. His prior confidence against the Leguls and wasp was now gone, as he faced the level seven monstrosity, which could wipe him out in a single direct attack if not for his Dragon Knight being in the way. That didn't stop Haga from calling out a direct attack by Legul, jarring Yami out of his thoughts for a moment as the jawed worm bit into his leg. Down to 1900 life, Yuugi seemed even farther away now, to the point that he couldn't even see him in his mind anymore.  
Yami held his arm where the monster bit him, staring intently at Haga as he sacrificed Legul to Insect Queen. Its attacked dropped by 200, but it was more than enough to attack and destroy Dragon Knight Gaia, bringing Yami's life points down to 1200. He held his arm up as the image of his monster shattered, shielding his face from both the shockwave and the threat of his sequential defeat. The Insect Queen laid an egg, gaining a puzzling look from both Yami and Anzu, and Haga ended his turn as the train entered a forest area.  
This can't be good, Yami thought as the space between turns gave him a moment to contemplate. Even with the lowered attack, if I don't find a way around that barrier...  
"Your turn, Yuugi," Haga taunted, that dreadful smirk still gracing his smug face. "Don't wear that fake mask anymore. You should show me who you really are?"  
Taken aback, Yami's glare shifted slightly to furious confusion. He balled his hand without cards into a fist, searching his mind for any reason at all for Haga's words. A nagging thought brought Yuugi's face to his mind's eye again, and his chest ached.  
"What?" he breathed, needing to fill the silence with something.  
"What are you talking about?" Anzu added.  
"Oh?" Haga laughed, reaching up to wiggle his glasses, smiling with malevolent mischievousness. "Did I say too much?"  
Yami stared at Haga suspiciously, his face pointed downward slightly. That nagging thought persisted, pulling at his heart, filling his head with guilt that he had to continuously push away to the sidelines to simply concentrate on the cards in his hand and on the field.  
"Don't mind it," Haga continued, shrugging away his statements, though his smile betrayed him.  
Eyes narrowed, Yami sensed a bluff in his tone, some ulterior motive. No way he would just say something about a mask and drop it. He had something more to say, something just below the surface. He clenched his teeth again and spoke.  
"Just say what you want to say," he said sternly, phrasing it almost like a command.  
"Nothing," Haga replied thoughtfully, letting his voice trail a bit on the end syllable. "But..."  
Yami's eye twitched, his chest tightening under the stress, under the realization that, of course, his gut was right. Haga did have more to say, more to taunt.  
"Don't be such a hero of justice," Haga said, arms crossed in conceit. "You know, since we're the same."  
Yami flinched a bit, feeling his jaw clench more, the pain in his temples intensifying. He thought he heard Anzu say something behind him, and authoritatively so, but the wind, or perhaps the Pharaoh's own thoughts, took her words away and out of reach. Just like Yuugi.  
"We're the same," Haga continued, that smug smile widening. "Since you surrendered yourself to darkness and used the Seal of Orichalcos."  
Yami's chest tightened further, and he struggled to keep any visible signals of his nerves from revealing through his body. He wasn't sweating, but his breathing felt uneven, and he could barely focus his eyes on Haga. He was in trouble, his dueling skills were hindered by his split concentration between the game and his need to rescue Yuugi, and he couldn't stop staring anxiously at the glowing seal on his opponent's forehead. What was this feeling, this tightness in his chest, this heaviness in his gut? He couldn't place it, and it was so unfamiliar, but whatever it was, it kept contorting his face into a painful hybrid between a glare and a smile.  
"And," Haga sneered, "you even lost your partner because of your pride. How can you call yourself a True Duelist?" He laughed, muttering something between giggles about not meaning to say that.  
Letting out a slow breath, Yami struggled with his composure, trying to restore it swiftly. Haga was only messing with him, there was no reason to feel this way. Of course he's a True Duelist, of course he's not the same as Haga. He didn't join Doma, he only failed in judgment for a moment, and paid the price.  
The thought returned, poking at his sanity, his facade, and what made matters worse was he couldn't even identify the thought. It was blank, only known by the way it affected him, bringing forth heaviness in his chest, choking out his voice, and threatening to force out tears.  
"I told you to stop it," Anzu said, filling the silence left by Yami's speechlessness.  
Breathe, he thought to himself, pushing away the feelings, pushing them down and away, just enough for him to speak.  
"Ha," he scoffed, finally able to resurrect his voice. "You're trying to shape my mind with dirty tricks, but I won't be fooled, Haga." Neither his words nor his voice gave away his anxiety over the situation, over never seeing Yuugi again, even as he stared down his enemy.  
"Is that so?" Haga asked with a teasing tone, pointing toward Yami's card-holding hand. "Then why are you shaking?"  
Yami's eyes widened slightly, and he looked down at his trembling hand. He hissed through his teeth and grabbed it with his opposing hand to stop the shaking. His body had betrayed him anyway, just as he had done, and the thoughts and feelings returned in full force. He was fully exposed, an exhibit on display, a public execution about to be carried out. He had been keeping his grief, his guilt, his emotions under wraps, yet Haga saw them right away. Was it so transparent that, ever since he lost Yuugi, that everyone had seen his feelings? Was that why Jounouchi struck him, because he had shown grief?  
"Yuugi," Haga said, jarring the Pharaoh out of his thoughts. "I must defeat you today. I've waited for this moment for a long time." He cackled again, causing Yami to growl in response.  
Haga went on to describe he and Ryuuzaki's fall from the top, where their respective losses at Duelist Kingdom took them from Duel Monsters royalty to pariahs of geekdom. It was all because they lost to amateurs, early in the tournament, and they couldn't even show their faces anymore. For Ryuuzaki, it was Jounouchi's doing, but for Haga, it was Yuugi's, or rather, the Nameless Pharaoh's fault.  
"You've hated me so much, Haga?" Yami responded to the story, guilt tainting the tone of his voice.  
"It doesn't matter," Haga replied, shrugging it off. "You'll be defeated today, anyway." He laughed.  
"My turn."  
Yami drew his card, and the second turn for the Poisonous Butterfly cocoon began. He was down to 1200 life points, and would surely lose more without anything to defend himself against Insect Queen. His next turn would be his last, in every meaning of that word.  
"I'll send you to your partner soon, Yuugi," Haga taunted, as if to reinforce the Pharaoh's own thoughts. "Your poor partner who was killed by the darkness in your heart."  
A breath caught in Yami's throat, the tears threatening to appear again. Crying was not an option, not now. He'd already taken time to grieve, so why would he still need the tears? He closed his eyes in an effort to prevent the sobs, the cold, dry wind against his face aiding him in holding it back.  
Aibou...  
Pulling himself together, he pulled a card from his hand, announcing his summoning of Kuriboh in defense mode. It transformed into a bug from DNA Surgery, though it took him off-guard. He had forgotten it was still on the field, and now Insect Queen had another 200 points added to her attack power, setting her back up to 3500.  
I'll save him myself for certain, he reassured himself, as if stating that in his head would keep him from choking further.  
He played the Free Choice trap card facedown and ended his turn in feigned confidence. Haga began his turn, triggering Yami's trap card, which allowed him to copy Insect Queen and destroy the original, giving him the powerful monster and leaving Haga with eggs. It would only last until the End Phase, but at least he could protect his life points for the rest of Haga's turn.  
Angered, Haga sacrificed one of the eggs to summon Armored Centipede and attack and destroy Kuriboh, giving it 500 additional points of attack due to its effect. Haga's turn over, Insect Queen shattered into nothing, leaving Yami defenseless. His eyes surveyed the field, struggling to focus again as the threat of defeat seeped into his mind. He drew his card, met with a burst of harmless electricity.  
Timaeus.  
As Haga taunted him for the dozenth time this duel, Yami remained stern, confident, even as the Poisoned Butterfly emerged. Thoughts of defeat fizzled away to be replaced by his usual winning attitude, where he knew he couldn't be defeated. No one can defeat him, not when he is of sound mind. Those minor distractions were just side effects of losing someone dear to him, and now he would set it right. Even with a perfect bug deck, Haga couldn't possibly stand against Timaeus. Haga realized it, too.  
"How could you possibly draw that important card now?" Haga said, panic obvious in his voice.  
His opponent's uneasiness sparked the fire within Yami. There was no standing in his path now. He would win this now, and get Yuugi back, and set everything right.  
"This is it, Haga," he announced, beginning his next move. "I'll finish this duel!"  
He played Timaeus's Eyes, calling his moves out in his normal confident and cocky attitude. Haga screamed in fear of defeat.  
"Timaeus, combine with Poisoned Butterfly to form a monster--"  
He stopped, interrupted by a lag in the process of Timeous blending with the butterfly monster. Timaeus cried out, a pained roar, and shattered. Destroyed.  
"Timaeus!"  
Horrified, he watched as the Poisoned Butterfly returned to normal, staring at the empty space where Timeaus was, hoping desperately that he would reappear any moment, that it was just a glitch in the hardware, anything but what he feared most.  
"Why can't I activate this card?" he asked the air, and Haga cackled gleefully in response.  
"Don't make me nervous, Yuugi," Haga said, relieved.  
Yami continued to star in horror at the place where his dragon partner once stood.  
Timeaus abandoned me? he thought, the anxiety bursting forth from where it had been held by his certainty of winning, which was now shattered and useless.  
"What's going on?" Anzu asked, sounding suspicious.  
"I can't believe your card abandoned you!" Haga laughed, jumping up and down in glee. "It's too terrible! I'd hate to be you right now!"  
As Haga rambled on about True Duelists and embarrassment, Yami continued to stare at the same spot, his eyes wide, his body motionless. The tears threatened once more, this time clawing at his eyes, causing them to tremble and twitch. He blinked away, trying not to show how much his confidence had dropped. The knots in his gut returned, and the thought he couldn't identify came forth, making him work harder to suppress the emotions burning in his chest.  
"Finished," he choked out. "My turn is finished." Defeat was imminent now, and his chances of seeing Yuugi again disappeared with Timeaus.  
Poisoned Butterfly's effect activated, bringing Yami down to 700 life points. Two more turns, if he couldn't get rid of Poisoned Butterfly or win this, he would die in two turns. He closed his eyes briefly, seeing Yuugi's image slip away again. This time, he couldn't bring it back. He had killed him once, and now his mind killed his partner, too.  
"You're finished, Yuugi," Haga taunted, echoing Yami's thoughts again.  
The boy began his turn, played a card face down, and ended his turn. Of course he couldn't attack with Poisoned Butterfly in the way, but Yami knew he didn't have to. He would just need to sit back and wait for the monster's effect to chip away at the Pharaoh's life points, and victory would be certain.  
"My turn," Yami said, drawing his card.  
"It's no use," Haga retorted. "You've already lost. You're just a King who doesn't give up."  
Yami glared in response, lowering his head, shoulders tensing.  
"I won't give up so easily," he growled. "Not before I rescue my friends!"  
He summoned Breaker the Magical Warrior, which activated Haga's trap card, Bug Eating. All monsters on the field had their attacks drop by 100, and they both lost life points according to how many monsters they had on the field. That meant Yami was down to 500, and instead of having this and his next turn left, it was only this turn.  
Haga realized it as well.  
"I've won, Yuugi," Haga said, laughing that annoying laugh of his. "Poisoned Butterfly's effect will take down the rest of your life points at the end of this turn. That means it's the end for you."  
"Yuugi..." Anzu called, worried.  
Her cry caused Haga to laugh.  
"You just sit there and watch as he loses, Anzu-chan," he laughed, adding a sing-song tone to her name.  
He turned his attention back to the Pharaoh, who was already plotting how to use Breaker's ability during this turn. He was interrupted in his plan, however, by Haga's next words.  
"Yuugi," Haga began, staring at his opponent with that same mocking smile. "We made a deal. I said I'd tell you where your partner is if you could beat me."  
Yami let out a disgruntled growl, staring furiously at Haga, as if the pure frustration would burn through his opponent and win the duel for him.  
"But, it seems I can't tell you that, since you're losing."  
He laughed, and Yami felt his heart jump painfully. Bug boy was taunting him with Yuugi's memory again, and the rage he felt at the beginning of the duel was bubbling just under his anxiety of losing the duel.  
"You bastard," he replied, seething.  
"But I feel so generous suddenly that I'm willing to do you a favor. I'll tell you, since you're so pathetic."  
Yami's eyes relaxed slightly, the glare softening into curiosity. Could it be...?  
"I saw where your partner was sealed," Haga continued. "I saw the card where they sealed him."  
A glimmer of hope sparked in Yami's mind, in his chest, smothering the flames of his rage. Perhaps, even if he couldn't rescue Yuugi, Anzu or Jounouchi or one of the others could find him. Or he could use that knowledge to avoid capture. Or escape. Any information would be useful, he just needed this. He needed to know that Yuugi was okay. Please, let Yuugi be okay.  
"Where is that card?!" he demanded, his sudden hopeful feeling giving a new intensity to his voice. "Say where it is, now."  
"Don't rush me," Haga scolded, cackling as usual. "Calm down."  
He reached into his pocket as Yami watched expectantly, and he pulled out a card. A Duel Monsters card.  
"This is that card."  
"What?" Yami replied, taking a quick step forward. "Hand it over, now."  
Yuugi, Yami thought, his mind already circulating around ways to get that card from him. Anzu was pretty dexterous and athletic, she could probably get it from him without any problems. And that went without saying for Jounouchi, who could take down Haga even if he didn't have his arms.  
"Hm, what should I do," Haga replied, staring down at the card. "Well, since you're so pitiful, I guess I'll give it back to you."  
He held up the card toward Yami, smiling. In return, Yami stared blankly for a moment, disbelieving. Would he really give it to him? Haga had nothing to lose by giving it to him, at least he seemed pretty sure that he was going to win, even if Yami still had a few moves he could make this turn. Having that card--his heart warmed. He took a few steps forward, coming between his own monsters on the field.  
"Or forget it," Haga said, pulling the card away. "I can't give it back to you, now. We're still dueling. Let's hurry up and fight."  
He held the card up in front of his face and ripped it straight down the center.  
Yami's heart dropped straight out of his chest and into his stomach. His eyes widened completely, his breath caught in his throat, his vision unseeing. Haga had tricked him, again, dangling Yuugi's card before him, and then ripping it in half. That was his last chance, even if he lost here, of seeing Yuugi again, and Haga destroyed it. He couldn't breathe, he couldn't see, he couldn't think. He just saw the shattered remains of his hope turn to dust, ripped apart by Haga's hands. For the first time during the duel, he just wanted the tears to burst forth, but even those were broken by the grief and torment.  
He regained function of his lungs just as his eyes focused back into Haga, in which he still saw the ripped pieces of card. He drew back his jaw, taking a breath, and screamed. He's not sure what his vocal chords produced, he just yelled in anguish toward the heavens, his chest aching, as if thousands of shards of glass were impaling his heart at once. He thought he heard Anzu's voice, but it could've just been his own cracking as he strained it. His heart was in pieces now, and there was no turning back.  
Haga cackled, snapping Yami out of his trance. He glared furiously at the teal-haired boy, rage boiling within him.  
"Haga," he warned, his fist clenched, his knuckles white, arms shaking from rage.  
"Just kidding," Haga replied, teasing. "It's just a useless common bug card."  
Yami walked back to his original position, no longer thinking of Yuugi or Anzu or even his fear of defeat. The exhilaration of anger, fury, it flowed through him like a satisfactory high, as if he had just finished an intense run across the countryside. He turned on his heel, unhearing as Haga said something about a joke.  
"You goddamn insect," Yami warned through clenched teeth. "I'll clean your fucking neck for that."  
Haga stopped cackling, his eyes almost as round as his glasses. He appeared genuinely terrified of Yami's new found attitude, as if he didn't expect this reaction.  
Yami continued his turn at this time, activating Breaker's effect, Trap Ruin. He used it to destroy the Insect Barrier, leaving Haga exposed to attack.  
"Now I can attack with Poisoned Butterfly," Yami announced, his glare dangerous and terrifying, piercing through the field to his opponent. "The card that you gave me."  
Haga screamed hysterically, crying out more as his Armored Centipede was destroyed by his own card, bringing him down to 3700 life points. Yami then attacked with Breaker directly, leaving Haga with 2200 points left. Recovering from the attacks, Haga laughed even more.  
"I tricked you again!" he said gleefully, hopping up and down. "Now that all your attacks are done, Poisoned Butterfly will take the rest of your life points and I win!"  
"What don't you understand," Yami replied, death dancing on his voice, his tone a gritty growl. "My turn isn't over yet."  
"What are you saying? Your monsters are done attacking!"  
"I activate Berserker's Soul."  
Haga, taken aback, calmed his celebration. He repeated the name of the card on a whisper. Yami discarded his entire hand and activated the quick magic effect, where he could draw cards and throw each away, and for each monster he could attack with one of his own on his side of the field, such as Breaker. Just like he planned, since when he used Breaker's effect, it lowered his attack to 1500. Which is exactly what he needed to use this card.  
He drew a card.  
"Queen's Knight."  
He threw the card into the graveyard, and Breaker attacked Haga directly. Down to 700. He drew again.  
"Monster card!"  
Haga gasped, and Breaker attacked once more, bringing Haga's life points down to zero. But Yami didn't stop, and drew a third card.  
"Monster card!"  
Breaker attacked again, each time as the time before, gaining a scream from Haga. Yami drew again, unknowing that the duel had ended.  
"Monster card!"  
Another attack. Another draw.  
"Monster card!"  
And again. Each time his voice heightened, with each attack Haga's scream intensified. Yami continued, and drew again.  
"Monster card!"  
Attack. Scream. Draw.  
"Monster card!"  
Haga screamed for a final time, falling to his knees as the Orichalcos closed around him, preparing to claim his soul. But Yami drew again, his enraged gaze on his prey, unaware that the Seal had retreated, and that he was free.  
"Yuugi, stop it!"  
Anzu's hand grasped his wrist firmly, pulling him away from declaring anymore attacks. He struggled against her hold, only seeing the task ahead: cleaning Haga's neck for his crimes.  
"Let go of me!" he ordered, pulling against her grip forcefully, his entire body shaking, his breath haggered.  
"Haga's life points are already zero," Anzu pleaded. "The duel is over."  
Panting, Yami stared at his dear friend, speechless. The duel was over? It couldn't be over. Not until Haga felt everything he had since Yuugi was taken, and he wasn't finished yet. He then noticed the tears in her eyes, and the constant, panting breaths he was taking brought forth the realization that, yes, he had won. He turned his face away and closed his eyes.  
Yuugi...  
He was one step closer to getting Yuugi back, and he had earned Haga's knowledge of his whereabouts. All that was left was to ask Haga and--  
Wait, the Orichalcos.  
He opened his eyes, staring at Haga as he collapsed onto the train car in a kneel. Yami glanced down at the next card he would use, and sighed. Black Magician Girl. The memory of his incident on the train came forth, those painful emotions stabbing through his chest, his gut. Of course it would be Black Magician Girl.  
Dismissing it the best he could, he ran across the roof to Haga's motionless body. He knelt before him, shaking the boy by his shoulders in desperation.  
"Haga, I won. You have to keep your promise!" He voice cracked, and he shook Haga a bit harder. "Tell me where he is!"  
No response.  
Tears threatened Yami's eyes again, but he still couldn't cry, sob, anything. He continued shaking Haga's lifeless body, each movement more forceful than the last, his head rolling and whipping to and fro.  
"Tell me now, Haga! We made a deal! Where is he? Where the hell is he?!"  
This can't be, I need to know.  
"Answer me!"  
"It's no use, Yuugi," Anzu said softly, the tears in her eyes obvious through her voice. "You know his soul has already been taken."  
"HAGA!"  
That was it. Yami growled, a primal sound that tore through his throat. He grabbed the front of Haga's jacket, lifting him violently from the roof. His face contorted into a terrifying display of rage as he held the boy's body at eye-level, his stance threatening.  
"So Haga couldn't have been telling the truth from the beginning," Anzu said, defeated, vocalizing the thoughts that were now creeping into Yami's mind.  
But he couldn't believe that.  
"Haga!" he roared. "Where. Is. My. Partner?!"  
As he held the boy's body in his fist, the realization kicked down the denial, revealing that there was no way he would get his answer. Not from Haga. Not from this duel. Not today. He collasped to his knees, setting Haga down as he did so, dejected. His mind, just as minds do, brought forth exactly what he'd done at the end of the duel and after, and in the worst way, with all the shame.  
"Aibou..."  
He lifted his hands away from Haga, staring at his open palms, horrified. He lost complete control, he had no idea what he was doing. How could he not know that the duel had ended? How could he not see it? His throat hurt, raw from screaming at Haga, and yelling the attacks. His heart ached, the stress of the duel, and his continued grief of being reminded of what he had done, of how he had lost Yuugi, tearing through his chest with more force than before. He wanted so much to just cry, to let the emotions flow out of him. But by some curse he was stuck in an emotional limbo, cut off from his only source of relief, his only hope at freedom. And, by his own hand, he had cut himself off from his only source of information in locating Yuugi. If he had just stopped when he won, he could have asked, he could have had just enough time to at least demand the information. But he didn't.  
The train rocked suddenly, and came straight off of the tracks. Anzu cried out, and he moved to catch Haga and keep him from flying off. The train slid down the bank overlooking a cliff, and launched over the side. Anzu screamed, and as it fell, so did he.  
As they fell toward what could be their deaths, the thought that had been nagging at his thoughts throughout the entire duel finally revealed itself to him.

You are the Darkness. You did this. All of it, it's your fault.


End file.
